Diabetes cases linked to poor nutrition go unnoticed according to healthcare professionals
Newly Proposed Type 5 Diabetes: A Growing Concern in Developing Countries
A new form of diabetes, referred to as Type 5 diabetes, has been the subject of recent discussions among health experts and researchers. This form of diabetes, distinct from the officially recognized types 3 and 4, is primarily occurring in people under 30 years old and is associated with malnutrition rather than obesity.
The exact link between malnutrition and Type 5 diabetes remains unknown, but numerous studies from various countries, including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Uganda, Pakistan, and Rwanda, have suggested a potential connection.
Type 5 diabetes affects insulin production, albeit less severely than Type 1 diabetes, which arises when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin and is mostly diagnosed in childhood. Unlike Type 2 diabetes, which is commonly caused by obesity and occurs when adults become resistant to the hormone insulin, Type 5 diabetes affects people who are underweight due to not eating enough.
The authors of a paper published in The Lancet Global Health have called upon the international diabetes community to recognize this distinct form of the disease. They propose providing people with access to "low-cost, energy-dense staple foods high in protein and complex carbohydrates" such as lentils, legumes, oil-enriched cereals, and fortified grains.
However, the International Diabetes Federation has not yet reached a consensus on officially recognizing Type 5 diabetes as one of the established types. The UN agency abandoned the classification of malnutrition-related diabetes in 1999 due to a lack of agreement among experts.
The experts have settled on calling this form of diabetes type 5, though types 3 and 4 have not been officially recognized. The efficacy of existing diabetes treatments that do not focus on weight loss on Type 5 diabetes is unclear.
It is estimated that more than 25 million people suffer from this form of diabetes mainly in developing countries. The authors of the paper suggest that the best way to fight Type 5 diabetes involves supporting programs already working to combat poverty and hunger.
While the recognition of Type 5 diabetes as an official type is still under debate, the growing body of evidence supporting its existence underscores the importance of addressing malnutrition as a significant factor in diabetes onset, particularly in developing countries.
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